One Year

This girl turned a year old a couple weeks ago, and I can hardly believe that her first year has gone by so quickly. What would I like you to know about Elena?

She's a busy girl. She's determined. And when she decides to do something, she does it. I'd say she knows her mind. Nursing is an example of that. She just up and quit a short time before her birthday. It's as if one day, she just decided that she was done. One day she wanted to nurse, the next day, not at all.

She's crawling everywhere but doesn't show much interest in walking. I'm figuring she'll start walking whenever she decides to, and until then, she's happy to zip around on hands and knees. She has no problem climbing, and if the stairs are open, she makes a beeline for them. I've also found her on top of the kids' table and the coffee table.

She's so aware of what's going on around her and doesn't hesitate to ask for what she wants. And when she crawls over to me and hold her hands up to me (her way of saying "pick me up"), it's basically impossible for me to not pick her up.

Elena freely gives me kisses and snuggles and is nice and cuddly. She's waving  and saying "bye" when Dan goes to work or when we leave her favorite stuffed animal in her crib. She's generally a cheerful, happy girl who occasionally throws in a temper tantrum just to let us know she's really serious about what she doesn't like.

I am so thankful she's part of our family.